61. SOUTH KOREA

The next stop on my travels was South Korea! Thanks to K-pop, Korean cinema and food, it's probably one of the world's most trendy and hyped countries and cultures right now. I remember seeing public K-pop dance shows in Colombia, students learning the Korean language in Kazakhstan & Indonesia, a growing Korean food scene in many European capitals and Western entertainment companies including more and more Korean TV shows and movies in their libraries. South Korea kind of took the spat of what Japan used to be like in my childhood with Anime and video games.

I gave myself a month to explore that rather small but fascinating country. South Korea has emerged from a turbulent past after WWII to the position of one of the world's major economic powers. The entire country is highly developed with a lot of amenities you won't find in many other countries of the world: Free lighting fast wifi everywhere, public self-cleaning toilets, a world-class public transportation system, pet stations in front of supermarkets or free mosquito spray & even sun blocker at hiking paths. All the nice and convenient things we can't have in most parts of Europe, Africa, South & North America because of idiots that would destroy, abuse or spray graffiti on it the very same day.

Honestly, I think that Korea is the easiest country I ever traveled in. It's impossible to get lost, find yourself in a dangerous situation or be stuck somewhere. I couchsurfed and hitchhiked 80 percent of the time and had beautiful experiences with local people. Locals are incredibly polite and friendly at the same time. They always keep their personal distance and are not overly social but still really helpful and curious. The infrastructure is incredibly efficient and surprisingly cheap to use (other travelers warned me that Korea would be very expensive beforehand, which I can't really confirm at all). Even high-quality hostels can be found for 10 to 15 Euros a night.

Let's also talk about Korean cuisine. Very very tasty! It involves a lot of unusual spices and fermented dishes and is very unique in its own way. Garlic, chilies, raw fish, seafood, beef, cabbage, spinach, bean sprout mushrooms, chicken and of course rice are the staple ingredients and make a good mix altogether. Food can be heavy in salt but really low in fat, many dishes are cold and Kimchi is kind of your daily side dish friend. Korean BBQ is the best and tastiest way of having a BBQ I ever had. Korean Fried Chicken is the best of its kind too.

One thing you will notice in your very first city walk in South Korea: The amount of coffee shops there is insane. They are literally everywhere, mostly the same 3 or 4 big brands, and the prices for a cup of coffee are very low. A cup of Americano in a nice cafe will cost you around 1,500 Won (1 Euro), which is much lower than in most countries of the world. Koreans love Iced Americano too and some coffee shops sell a one-liter plastic cup of it :D

About my itinerary, I started my trip in Seoul, where I first explored the very happening center for 2 days & nights and then continued to some outskirts, where I stayed with Jay, one of the funniest people I met. We visited some temples, had food & Soju (Korean clear liquid), explored some local markets and she convinced me to fly to Jeju Island. One negative thing about Korea: Some old people can be very grumpy and unsatisfied in their lives, that kind of reminded me of some seniors in my home country :D

I continued to a tiny village close to the city of Seosan-Si. I met Kei there, who hosted me in her meditation center for 3 nights. She is a super interesting person, traveled around the world for many years too and became a painter and jazz musician. To stay in the middle of stunning nature for 3 days without internet just next to a beautiful river, was exactly what I needed after spending around 2 months in a row in gigantic cities. I swam in the river, slept 12 hours a day, learned a lot from Kei and embarked on a small hike. Autumn was just around the corner and the first trees turned yellow & orange and the hot temperatures slowly cooled down.

I left southwards to visit the port city of Gunsan-Si, continued to the beautiful city of Jeonju and met Miyoung and her 2 kids there, who I had a wonderful time with. We went on a hike out of the city, had a Korean BBQ, ate delicious eel, played PS5 & ordered pizza and went to one of their friends' restaurant opening. A really memorable time.

My next two steps were Jinju and Busan. I reconnected with my Indonesian friend Windy whom I have been in touch with for 5 years after she hosted me in Java and learned about life in Korea from a foreigner's perspective.

From Busan, I took a flight to Jeju Island, a really rewarding place off the southern coast to visit. Korea's largest island is really beautiful and its relatively big size still offers some untouched nature. I stayed there for five days, did three-day hikes and spent one day on the tiny neighboring island of Udo. I think Udo-myeon was my favorite place in Korea and it's a place I will definitely come back to one day. It offers really beautiful beaches, some green steep cliffs, beautiful volcanic rocks, small houses and just a very special vibe. You can walk all around the island in two or three hours. Amazing place!

I returned to South Korea's mainland and enjoyed some last sunny days in the coastal port city Busan. I think I have never seen a city that found such a good way to implement nature, urban development, parks and rivers that well. On a walk on the outskirts of the city, you feel like changing from being in the middle of a forest with Korean uncles fishing in a crystal clear river to stepping into an ultra-modern 4 million-people metropolis with 50-floor-high apartment blocks.

South Korea was an awesome experience for me and spending time with people there was just sheer pleasure. 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) to the amazing people I met and can't wait to come back one day! Taiwan next.

3 Highlights:

- Udo-Myeon, a tiny charming volcanic island just next to Jeju Island

- Jeonju, my favorite city in South Korea with delicious food and traditional architecture

- Yonghyeon village and Nature Recreation Forest, disconnecting in the middle of a forest with surrounding hills and temples

Visited places in South Korea

Flight from Macau to Seoul

Arriving in Hongdae, Seoul

Typical Korean restaurant setup: Tablet to order, free dining water, menu with pictures and tiny tables

Hongdae, Seoul

K-pop dance show

Tteokbokki and Kimbap with Kimchi, three of the most iconic Korean dishes in one meal

Streets of Seoul

The vast world of toilets. From muddy holes in the ground in Afghanistan to overwhelming control panels in Korea; I am just wondering right now, how many different toilets I already used in my life :D